A change from the norm

When I began this blog I thought I would only post about my journey through parenthood with our first little baby. I have been hesitant to post anything other than the simple happenings with Owen and myself. However I am beginning to realize that this journey through life is so different now as I look into the world through 'mom' eyes. So, this post is a bit of a change from the norm. This summer & fall has been an amazing time of growth in my faith as I have witnessed God doing miracles in the lives of some of our friends....actual miracles.....the kind that you cannot just 'circumstance' away. I have begun to wonder what God can do in our lives as He has also reawakened a thought between Mike and I. I truly believe that God has put Mike and I together for a purpose.

To put it simply, my heart breaks at the thought of children without mothers around the world & here at home. It all began last Sunday morning when I was feeding Owen (selfishly a bit upset that he woke up so early to nurse). I looked down at him feeding so peacefully and suddenly my mind flashed to picture Owen, my dear boy Owen, alone in an orphanage. I pictured him alone in a crib without being able to eat when he wanted to and being cuddled when he was upset. The reality is that some children live this life, alone, unloved, in an orphanage. I was grateful at how easily I was able to meet his needs and physically make him feel loved & at peace. The thought brought me to tears and drove me to prayer. How sad those children must be. All I could do was cry, pray, and ask for God's help. Since then the Lord has been placing 'signs' in my life that are remarkable. He is making it VERY obvious. Daily I am reminded of His guidance for us. Some day I will post all the 'signs'-you would be amazed! What a good God we serve.

There is a beautiful song we sing sometimes at church that scares the pants off of me. It has a line in it that says "break my heart for what breaks yours...". That is my prayer most of the time, but oh how it hurts when you begin to see the world that the Lord sees and your heart begins to break ever so slightly as the Lord's would break.

It is so easy to become comfortable in our easy American life that we forget that others exist out there beyond our safe borders. If you have never witnessed true poverty in a 3rd world country, you may not know how blessed we truly are simply because we are 'American'. I think we are blessed in order to bless others, not to just simply reside in our 'blessing'. I was listening to the radio this morning and heard a stunning fact that made me feel ill and caused me to start sobbing at the wheel. 143 million children are orphaned around the world, 143 MILLION, 143,000,000. God has been taking Mike and I on a journey of faith and trust in discovering what 'we can do'. I am a strong believer in the fact that God calls us to a life of 'doing'. Even if what we can do is simple and may not change the world, we still must do what we can and we ALL can do something. Mike & I can no longer sit back and watch as the world hurts. We will do something. Rick Warren once said, "You may not be able to change the whole world, but you can change the world for one."

Now, I know that my blog is not followed my many, and I like it that way. If you do happen to stumble across this post, will you please remember Mike, Owen, & I in your prayers as we begin a journey of faith. Also, I hope that you will be encouraged to do what you can. God is a good God! Sorry for the ramblings of my heart, but it needed to come out!

P.S. Owen is now 6 and a half months old. At his last dr.s appointment he was almost 21 pounds and was about 30 inches long! Healthy and happy to boot! :) He is on the verge of beginning to crawl but cannot figure out how to go forward.....so backwards it is! Owen is eating a TON and wants to eat more! He is a kick in the pants and we are loving every minute of it! (even when he wakes up to eat too early in the morning) :)